Events

Past Event

Twenty Years On: Technology's Influence on the Nature of Warfare and Humanitarian Action

November 9, 2023
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
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Hybrid

Online / Virtual Registration

In-Person Registration (Columbia Journalism School - Pulitzer Hall, 2950 Broadway, New York, NY 10027)

The 9/11 attacks and subsequent invasion of Iraq marked the onset of a period characterized by swift advancements in military technology, resulting in a fundamental shift in the nature of warfare and far-reaching effects on humanitarian interventions. The advancement of technology has ushered in a new phase of war strategy in which satellite surveillance, drones, precision munitions, artificial intelligence, and other technologies increasingly distance the soldier – and human decision-maker – from conflict. This panel will elucidate how these technological enhancements have been harnessed in warfare, extending their reach beyond the core objective of protecting civilians, and how these advances have paved the way for disrupting humanitarian systems established to safeguard individuals exposed to conflict.

Panelists: 

Azmat Khan, Patti Cadby Birch Assistant Professor of Journalism and Director of the Simon and June Li Center of International Journalism

Belkis Wille, Associate Director of the Crisis and Conflict Division at Human Rights Watch

Laura Walker Macdonald, Senior Advisor on Digital Technology and Data Protection, International Committee of the Red Cross

Monette Zard, Associate Professor and Director, Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University (moderator) 

This panel signifies the conclusion of a sequence of discussions held over the course of the year, exploring the lasting repercussions of the Iraq War. Over the course of 2023, the Program on Forced Migration and Health at Columbia University and the Columbia Global Center in Amman have been co-convening a webinar series to mark the 20th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq and reflect on the enduring impact on the humanitarian landscape. This fourth and final webinar is also co-hosted with the Simon and June Li Center for Global Journalism

Recordings of Previous Webinars in this Series: 

Panel Three: Twenty Years On: Humanitarian Action in the Era of Counterterrorism

Panel Two: Twenty Years On: Geopolitical Reverberations of the Iraq War and Repercussions for the MENA Region 

Panel One: Twenty Years On: Challenges to the Civilian/Military Distinction in the Aftermath of the Iraq War